diff --git a/src/aare/gui/threads/camera_thread.py b/src/aare/gui/threads/camera_thread.py
index 456d0642..33320f58 100644
--- a/src/aare/gui/threads/camera_thread.py
+++ b/src/aare/gui/threads/camera_thread.py
@@ -76,17 +76,29 @@ class SampleCameraThread(QThread):
                 for part in r[:-1]:
                     try:
                         decoded = json.loads(part.decode("utf-8"))
-                        if isinstance(decoded, dict) and "shape" in decoded:
+                        if isinstance(decoded, dict):
                             header = decoded
                             break
-                    except:
+                    except Exception:
                         continue
 
                 if header:
-                    h, w = header["shape"][:2]
-                    raw = np.frombuffer(data, np.uint8).reshape((h, w))
+                    encoding = str(header.get("encoding", "")).lower()
 
-                    rgb = cv2.cvtColor(raw, cv2.COLOR_BAYER_GB2RGB)  # choose correct Bayer order
+                    if encoding == "jpeg":
+                        encoded = np.frombuffer(data, dtype=np.uint8)
+                        bgr = cv2.imdecode(encoded, cv2.IMREAD_COLOR)
+                        if bgr is None:
+                            print("Failed to decode JPEG image from zmq stream")
+                            continue
+                        rgb = cv2.cvtColor(bgr, cv2.COLOR_BGR2RGB)
+                    elif "shape" in header:
+                        h, w = header["shape"][:2]
+                        raw = np.frombuffer(data, np.uint8).reshape((h, w))
+                        rgb = cv2.cvtColor(raw, cv2.COLOR_BAYER_GB2RGB)
+                    else:
+                        print(f"Unsupported header in zmq stream: {header}")
+                        continue
 
                     if self.__measure_focus:
                         gray = cv2.cvtColor(rgb, cv2.COLOR_RGB2GRAY)